The Commission lauds and supports Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) plan to include mental health services in its primary care package for Filipinos through its Konsulta package.

In May 2021, data from National Mental Health Program of DOH records at least 3.6 million Filipinos suffering from mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.

The Philhealth Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (PhilHealth Konsulta) benefit package seeks to enable access to primary care by adopting a responsive financing mechanism for the delivery of quality primary care services and commodities, thus making it more accessible at the community level.

We hope that Philhealth’s partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) “for mental health to be included in the Konsulta package” bears fruit and brings mental health care to the local communities.

Any action to help improve access and availability of mental health services is a welcome addition in the government’s holistic goal of health for all Filipinos. We continue to send our appreciation to DOH and the National Center for Mental Health for continuing to provide mental health services to Filipinos in need.

On this note, we also welcome the move of the Philippine National Police in crafting the guidelines towards making the conduct of Psychiatric-Psychological Exam regular for all its personnel in ensuring that police officers are physically, emotionally, and mentally well in the performance of their duties. We hope that, as we continuously address the concerns of our police officers, we can also reduce incidences of human rights violations, especially in communities.